Avalanche Course Cost

looking through Avalanche courses and I see across the board the standard rate is $350 for a three day AIARE level 1 course.

Curious if this is the flat rate across the country, or more so just my area (North East)?

I'm kinda on the line if I want to take one or not this year. Ideally I would, but I am stretching my financial limits for the season and if I didn't take the course I would just avoid a potential winter Katahdin attempt and take the course out west come next winter.

J69 wrote:Try a local community college. Several years back I paid $50 for 1.5 units for AIARE level 1 three day course. The cc was also offering level 2 for the same.

I am also interested in taking an avy course, and $50 sounds real nice. At Which community college did you take the course?

jTaylor wrote:looking through Avalanche courses and I see across the board the standard rate is $350 for a three day AIARE level 1 course. Curious if this is the flat rate across the country, or more so just my area (North East)? I'm kinda on the line if I want to take one or not this year. Ideally I would, but I am stretching my financial limits for the season and if I didn't take the course I would just avoid a potential winter Katahdin attempt and take the course out west come next winter.

$350 for Level 1 sounds steep. I took that a long time ago so..

I would not take the course on the east coast. It's much more interesting to study a deep leeward and windward snowpack that's not a ravine on Mt Washington. I would also take the course in a year that you'll be practicing those skills learned.

i paid $350 a while back for avy1 through sierra mtn guides. it was worth every dollar. avy gear and courses are really not the place to try to cut corners in order to save a few bucks in my opinion. i tipped my guide i think an additional $40. It was a 3 day course i believe and a majority of the time in the field applying what we learned in the classroom culminating with 1 full day of bc skiing.

Around that price is pretty accurate, and again worth every penny. I know that the price of training is really limiting for folks, but look at it as an investment in your life.

I mean...how much is YOUR life worth?

FFAFSA paid for mine at Lake Tahoe community college.

christoph benells wrote:FFAFSA paid for mine at Lake Tahoe community college.

Really? Man I only get like $300 a semester from them. That's ridiculous. :o(

We have a few choices out here in Washington. Taking the course in 3 consecutive days with a pro guide is $300-350 or taking it through the Mountaineers stretched out over a few evening sessions and one weekend in the field is ~$200. There are pro's and con's to each provider and a great provider is worth the cost.

If you'll be relocating to the west coast and you won't be in avalanche terrain this winter in the east it might be worth waiting or better yet take the AIARE L2 course out here. You'll learn a lot about the specific dangers of your local snowpack from a local instructor.

Wait and take a course out West.

Try to find a course with a proven emphasis on quick practical savvy out on real climbs and real backcountry ski tours -- rather than one that focuses only on time-consuming pit tests.

Keep in mind that what most smart (and still-living) ski tourers and climbers do to manage avalanche risk is typically rather different from the stuff some courses focus on. And very different from what full-time avalanche forecast / protetion professionals do.

Ken

Took my course through UVM from Sun Valley Trekking
svtrek.com/avalanche-educat…
Highly recommended if you can get out to the Sawtooths.

I agree with taking a course out west, you'll want some real avy terrain (that's not Mt Washington)

i actually live in boulder now and no longer the NE thankfully. i'll be looking into some courses this season

I recommend taking it with Eli. Great guy, and an active member in this community.

http://guide.climbinglife.com/index.php/avalanche-safety/aiare-level-1

^looks great, thanks!

Eli is a great guide and full of info/experience/stories. Took my avy 1 from him a number of years ago which jump-started a lot of my winter backcountry adventures.